Posted in Uncategorized

Two adorable board books for babies and toddlers!

These books come Granddaughter approved! My littlest little, who I’ll refer to as Snuggles, gets very excited when she sees these books come out of my bag. Share them with your littles for lapsit fun!

My Animal Sounds (Baby Basics), by Xavier Deneux, (Aug. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791036382086

Ages Birth-3

A high-contrast book with splashes of primary color, little fingers can this book features animal sounds on every page: littles can hear a cat meow; a bird’s chitter; the glub-glub of a fish; a frog’s croak; a rabbit’s nibble, an elephant’s trumpet (Snuggles’s favorite!); a sheep’s baaaa; a dog’s bark, a pig’s grunt, and a cow’s moo (her second favorite).  The illustrations are chunky and bold, with each animal’s name on the top of the page. A colorful disc calls the reader’s attention to it, where they can easily press and hear the animal sound. Pages are chunky and thick and will hold up to  multiple reads; there’s even an on/off switch so you can save your battery. A definite fun addition to your board book collections. My Animal Sounds is a companion book to Deneux’s other Baby Basics books, My Books (2024) and Animals at Home (2025).

 

Hoot Hoot, by Georgette, (Aug. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791027613632

Ages Birth-3

Another adorable animal sounds book, Hoot Hoot is a bold, eye-catching book that pops out against bright black backgrounds. Die cuts encourage readers to guess at the different animals making sounds by featuring pairs of eyes that reveal identities on the next page. An owl “hoot hoots”; a cat and kitten purr; bats flap, flap their wings, mice scurry, and a playful child tries to fool the reader with his own sound. With bold, bright colors that come alive against the black backgrounds and sturdy die-cut cardboard that will hold up to multiple reads, this is an engaging book that encourages exploration and learning. A must-add! (And a favorite of Snuggles, whose eyes grow like saucers when she sees the cover.)

Posted in Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Tactile Board Books for Little Hands

Bedtime Kisses, by Élisabeth de Lambilly/Illustrated by Mélisande Luthringer, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $10.99, ISBN: 9791027613267

Ages Birth-3

A group of babies get bedtime cuddles in this adorable graduated, die-cut board book. Baby squirrels, monkeys, kangaroos, whales, and humans all run through a bedtime routine with their parent: a soothing hush from Mama Squirrel, closing eyes with Papa Monkey, tickles, cuddles, and kisses from Daddy Kangaroo, a warm snuggle with Mommy Whale, and a loving hug and kiss from a human parent to child. The board books are sturdy and pages get larger in size with each mammal; die cuts are chunky and the shapes allow for little fingers to trace and explore. This book will hold up to multiple readings and the gentle illustrations are warm and show affection between caregivers and babies. Colors are soft and cheerful. A very cute addition to board book and bedtime story collections.

 

Look! What is That?, by Tristan Mory, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9782408056018

Ages Birth-3

There is so much to enjoy about this interactive board book! A baby wanders onto the scene, with no idea that they’re being watched! A mouse, bear, rabbit, bird, pig, and wolf all wonder aloud and take guesses as to what this strange little creature could be until a parent arrives on the scene, answering the question. Sturdy pull-tabs pop up from the top and right side of the book, making for a fun interactive storytelling and solo play. A fun introduction to animal descriptions as the animals puzzle things out: “…it doesn’t have a beak… and it has no feathers! It’s not a bird”. The characters’ expressive eyes draw readers’ attention right away, and the bright illustrations keep readers engaged. The pull tabs and pages are sturdy and will hold up nicely. Developing motor skills and teaching readers about animals? Look! What is That? is a fun addition to collections that readers will ask for again and again.

 

My Hand is the Sun, by Christine Naumann-Villemin/Illustrated by Géraldine Cosneau, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9782408056025

This is a board book that’s begging for an art storytime activity. A narrator considers different things their hands can be: an apple tree, a hen, an octopus, a lion, a flamingo, a butterfly, a garden, or a heart. Handprints form the basis for the illustrations, with a glossy allowing readers to touch and glide their own hands over the book’s, and place their hands over the illustrations to see how their own hands fit. Thoughtful illustration shows readers how to add to their initial handprint to create, for instance, a flamingo’s long neck or an octopus’s waving arms. Fun sound effects for each spread allows for an interactive storytime where readers can crunch apples, cluck like chickens, bloop like an octopus, or roar like lions. This book is another great addition to storytime and board book collections: it’s a program and book, all in one!

Extend the storytime with a handprint craft: if you don’t want to bring out paints to do handprints, you can always trace and cut handprints on colorful paper. Simple Everyday Mom has some fun ideas, or you can take inspiration from My Hand is the Sun.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Stop that monster! Nibbles: The Monster Hunt

Nibbles: The Monster Hunt, by Emma Yarlett, (2020, Kane Miller), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1-61067-957-2

Ages 3-7

Nibbles, my Kiddo’s favorite book-nibbling monster, is back! In this third Nibbles adventure, Nibbles is loose again, and heads off into a brand new set of books, including loads of facts and an adventure with a dragon. Lift the flaps, inventive die cuts, and little peep holes throughout keep the energy and fun high in this read. Nibbles is AMAZING fun for read-alouds – I’ve used all three in read-alouds in various storytimes, and Nibbles always gets the kids squealing and giggling. The art is bright, fun, and Nibbles is a big, yellow ball of chaos – perfect for kids, right?

Gabe, my Kiddo, has been a Nibbles fan from the beginning, and Kane Miller Books gets all the love in the world for introducing me to him (Nibbles, not Gabe), so I can share him with the kids in my library and my life. Want a super-fun, super easy storytime craft? Get some pom poms and googly eyes, and make Nibbles and some other, different-colored monster friends! I’m going to give it a shot at an upcoming family storytime, so I’ll post pictures when I do.

Nibbles is guaranteed fun for your toddler and emerging reader explorers, with sturdy pages and flaps, fun visuals, and loads to explore.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

See the animal mommies, count the baby animals!

Count the Baby Animals, by Guido van Genechten, (March 2017, Clavis Publishing), $17.95, ISBN: 978-1605-37324-9

Recommended for readers 2-5

This fun die-cut book shows a pregnant animal mommy; with a flip of the page, she’s surrounded by her babies! Sweet rhyming text throughout invites readers to count each group of animals while offering descriptive details.

This is an adorable book to introduce to toddlers, who can point to and name animals as you read along. Encourage them to make animals sounds for each one to extend the fun. There are oodles of fun animal coloring sheets and activities available online; matching games with moms and babies would be a great choice for older toddlers and early preschoolers. You can pair this with books like P.D. Eastman’s classic, Are You My Mother?, or Nancy Tafuri’s All Kinds of Kisses (one of my personal faves).

Originally published in 2016, this is the English translation of Guido van Genechten’s original Dutch. His artwork is child-friendly, with gentle, cartoony faces and smiles. Endpapers with frolicking baby animals bring the reader right into the fun, and the sturdy paper stock will hold up to exploring little hands, who will love turning the half pages back and forth to see each mommy animal with a round belly, and later, surrounded by her babies.

How Many Baby Animals is a fun addition to toddler bookshelves and would make a fun sibling-to-be gift, too.